MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Head Coach Richie Grant announced the Memphis men's soccer team's schedule for the 2012 season on Monday morning. The 17-game schedule features six matches against teams that finished in the RPI top 50 in 2011.

Memphis opens the season on Friday, August 24, when Wisconsin comes to the Bluff City in a return match from last season's game in Madison, Wisc., a match in which Grant become the winningest coach in program history with the Tigers' 2-1 win.

The U of M will also play in a pair of fall tournaments, traveling to South Carolina for a tournament at Furman and to Birmingham, Ala., for a four-team tourney at UAB. Memphis will face both Charleston and host Furman in Greenville, S.C. on Sept. 7 and 9, respectively. A week later, the Tigers will be pitted against Washington and Fairleigh Dickenson in the tourney at UAB.

The non-conference schedule for the U of M also includes matches against Belmont (Sept. 3), Drake (Sept. 22) and Central Arkansas (Oct. 9) at home and a road match at Missouri State (Oct. 3).

Memphis opens play in Conference USA with a home match against Marshall on Sept. 26. The Tigers then hit the road to play their first conference road match at Kentucky on Sept. 29. Tulsa will visit Mike Rose Soccer Complex on Oct. 13 before the U of M heads out on a three-match conference road-swing at South Carolina (Oct. 20), UCF (Oct. 24) and FIU (Oct. 27). The Tigers close out both conference and regular-season play with home matches against UAB (Oct. 31) and SMU (Nov. 3).

Grant scheduled some stiff competition for 2012, with six teams finishing the 2011 season ranked in the top 50 of the RPI and another six in the 51-100 range. SMU (10), UAB (17), South Carolina (25), UCF (33), Furman (34) and Washington (43) were in the top 50, while Wisconsin (51), Fairleigh Dickenson (56), Missouri State (61), Drake (63), Kentucky (68) and Marshall (83) finished in the top 100.

The Tigers concluded the 2011 season with an 11-6-1 record and the No. 46 RPI, narrowly missing out on the NCAA tournament. Memphis lost three seniors off of last season's team, but is returning a strong nucleus in 2012.

NSCAA and College Soccer News Third Team All-American Mark Sherrod led the team and Conference USA in scoring with a school-record 19 goals and record-tying 42 points. Sherrod led the country in goals per game (1.06) and finished second in points per game (2.33), third in total goals (19) and fourth in total points (42). Sherrod was also one of the 15 semifinalists for the Herman Trophy, college soccer's player of the year, and the Conference USA Player of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year and All-C-USA First Team.

Joining Sherrod is fellow first team all-conference selection Liam Collins. Collins led the team and conference in assists (11) and assists per game (.61), both ranking fourth in the country. Senior defender J.J. Greer, All-C-USA Second Team, and junior goalkeeper Conor Hurley, All-C-USA Third Team, anchor a defense that held opponents to 1.24 goals per game.

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